reformedbeliever said:
So those God forknew would NOT believe never had a chance to believe because of God's perfect foreknowledge. Their fate was that they didn't believe, and God foresaw it. Fatalism
Ummm.... Brother, you have it fatalsim all messed up.
If there is choice involed fatalism does not exist. Just because God knows everyone who will and will not (anything) once He gives them a choice does not constitute that as being fate, since fate was something the gods decided that man will or will not do and he was bound in time to do their will. Whether be god-fearing or evil, it was their fate to fulfill the will of gods, they had no choice.
Fate is something historically that the gods (Greek as well as others) had determined and man has no say in the matter but men were depicted as a helpless creature borne along by destiny. Thus you have what was called or was said to be 'your fate'. You were 'doomed' so to speak to do what ever it was the gods had predetermined you to do not what they knew you would do.
You can not have fatalism, where choice is involved, only non-choice. Thus you will ONLY have fatalism where man has no choice.
In classical and Eureopean mythology, there are three goddessess dispensing fate known as Moirae in Greek mythology, Parcae in Roman mythology, and Norns in Norse mythology, who determinted the events of the world. Fate implies no choice, and ends with a death. Fate is an outcome determined by an outside agency acting upon a person or entity;
Wiki 'Fate';
[/B]What the Calvinist believe is that foreknowledge is Foreloving.
The only problem you have with that, is the scripture does not state nor read fore-'loving' but fore-'knowing'. This word in the Greek is specific of knowledge and can
imply intimacy (love). There
are words in the Greek for love and loving but they are not used for this word. Yet if the content of passage does invoke the implication of love it is not to seperated from it's foremost meaning of knowledge.
God foreloved those whom He chose (not fatalism)
Again, it is not foreloved but foreknew. Actaully that is exactly fatalism since those whom He chose have no choice in the matter and neither do they whom He did not choose.
and through His Divine Providence, He regenerated them and they believe. (not fatalism).
Again, no choice IS fatalism.
Foresight is mere fatalism.
No one is speaking of foresight.
Forknowledge is like when Adam knew Eve. It is intimate, and it is providential, and it is not mere fate.
Absolutely incorrect. Forknoweldge IS NOT the same as Adam knowing Eve, because then you have problem with this verse:
Act 2:22 ¶ Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
First thing though - you have the Jews 'knowing' Christ in an intimate and loving way as they delivered Him up to be crusified. That is of course if we hold to your view.
Second - you have God intimately loving Christ by placing Him into the hands of wicked men to crusify Him.
The problem is not that knowledge does not imply love because it CAN though does not always do so, but that you ignore it's intended meaning which can include the love aspect as well.